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Applications (such as Micros Opera) created for OAS (Oracle Application Server) often use also Oracle JInitiator (a JVM made and distributed by Oracle, it allows a web enabled Oracle Forms client application to be run inside a web browser).
While there were no problems with Windows XP, there seems to be an issue on Windows 7 running the Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors where the JInitiator will load, but it won’t refresh or repaint its windows. In my case, when I resized the window or double clicked the title bar, it would repaint the screen, refreshing the content in the window. However, I would have to do that step every time I wanted something to happen in the window.
To make a long story short, the problem is with the new Intel HD graphics with dynamic frequency technology and I know two solutions.

Solution 1.
You basically have to go into the power savings for Windows 7, edit the power plan and set the Intel Graphics to “Maximum Performance” which turns off the Dynamic Frequency.
If you have a computer that has it’s own power saving software (or Intel graphics software) you have to make a little research on your own. If you are using the stock Windows 7 power settings, you can do the following:
– click Start
– in the search box, type Power Options and hit enter
– chances are, the radio dot is on the Balanced (recommended) settin, click on the Change plan settings link to the right for whatever plan is selected
– click the Change advanced power settings link
– in the advanced options, scroll down until you find Intel Graphics and click on the + next to it
– you should see two options below the Intel Graphics: Plugged In and On Battery, set both of these to Maximum Performance
– apply and OK, then you can close everything else down.

Solution 2.
The solution is to disable DirectDraw for jInitiator. To do this, go to Control Panel, jInitiator and then in Basic label add

-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true

to Java Runtime Parameters field.
Alternatively, you may edit jInitiator properties file located somewhere in C:\Users\USERNAME\.jinit folder so it has this line in it (notice ‘=’ character is escaped):

I recently installed Oracle SQL Developer on a Windows Server 2003 64-bits version. I had done this many times in the past with no problems, and so I was surprised when I went to run it and got error “This application failed to start because MSVCR71.dll was not found”.
I searched my computer for the missing DLL file and found nothing in the Windows folders, but several hits under the SQL Developer folders. So, the runtime was included with the Oracle SQL Developer files, but because its folder was not on the path, there was no way for it be found. How is this supposed to work? The SQL Developer is simply a zip file. You don’t install it. Just unzip it. Oracle is depending on the runtimes being available (i.e. improperly installed) in their software distribution strategy for SQL Developer. But, as Microsoft tightens the reigns, and as people start obeying the rules, this approach falls short. You can’t simply distribute it as a zip file and expect it to work. You’re going to have to provide a little bit of configuration to get the runtimes on the path.
To fix it, properly, you need to install SQL Developer yourself. Fortunately, this is quite simple:
1. Run regedit.
2. Expand

3. Add a new Key to App Paths called sqldeveloper.exe
4. Set the (Default) value to the full path to the SQL Developer executable (including the executable name).
5. Create a new String value for sqldeveloper.exe called Path and set its value to the jdk\jre\bin folder in the SQL Developer files

This problem isn’t limited to Oracle SQL Developer. It will be common to any application distributed without an installation process that is dependent on a runtime file that should be located in the Windows folder.

I’ve installed Warcraft III on my notebook, but just after starting the game, my computer gets hanged and then it shows the message box about igxprd32.dll display driver not working and the system will shutdown to prevent a damage from the application (actually, sometimes this appears as BSOD).

To solve this error, you have to change registry key or shortcut properties.
In the registry editor, expand HKCU\Software\Blizzard Entertainment\Warcraft III and add new key called ‘Gfx’. In this key you should add one of the following key with the ‘1’ value:
– SwTNL (enable software TNL, some graphic operations will be transfer from graphic card to CPU)
– OpenGL (enable OpenGL, instead of the default DirectX)

If you don’t want to mess with the registry, you could simple change Warcraft III shortcut properties. You have to add ‘-swtnl’ or ‘-opengl’ option at the end, it could looks like this:

Well, this is a quite simple task as it sounds. But believe me when I was supposed to do this for the first time in my career I had a hard time searching for exact solution. There are at least two known methods available to perform this task.

Method 1.
Simply issue the following SQL statement from any of the nodes:

ALTER SYSTEM SET parameter_name=parameter_value SCOPE=SPFILE;

There are 3 possible values for the ‘SCOPE’ clause in this statement:
1. MEMORY – the change is immediate but will not be available after next startup or reboot of the instance
2. SPFILE – the change will be effective in SPFILE only and will be available after next startup or reboot of the instance
3. BOTH – the change is effective for both MEMORY and SPFILE and will be available after next startup or reboot of the instance also
Default is BOTH.
You could also specify another clause called ‘SID’ at the end of the above ALTER statement which is specifically meant for a RAC database. This is to specify the instance where you want to make that change.
For example:

ALTER SYSTEM SET parameter_name=parameter_value SCOPE=SPFILE SID='*';

means that this particular change in the parameter will happen on all instances after rebooting them, default is ‘*’.

Method 2.
Another method to change a parameter in the spfile is to export it to a pfile, change it and then create a new spfile. Let me detail out the various steps involved.
1. On one instance, create a pfile from the existing spfile:

CREATE PFILE FROM SPFILE;

This will create a pfile called initSID.ora at $ORACLE_HOME\database
2. Edit the resulting pfile initSID.ora in a text editor (add/alter the required parameter). You should use ‘*’, so that this parameter value is applied to all instances.
3. Now shutdown all the instances.
4. Startup the instance (and hence the database) where you created and altered the pfile using this pfile only:

STARTUP PFILE=$ORACLE_HOME\database\initSID.ora

Do not start other instances yet.
5. Now through this instance only, create a new spfile (which can be at a common location being accesses by all instances)

This will overwrite the existing spfile with the spfile which has the new/altered parameter.
6. Now shutdown this instance again.
7. Now startup normally all the other instances without PFILE or SPFILE option:

STARTUP

By default startup will now consider the new spfile.
8. To confirm that the new parameters have been set/removed, issue following sql statement from all instances:

SHOW PARAMETER;

This method would not be much different if this is a single instance database instead of a RAC database (in step #7 you would be starting only that single instance).
That’s should be all.